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Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Department of Transportation (DOT).
Notice of advisory committee meeting.
This notice announces a public meeting of the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC) to discuss the notices of proposed rulemaking (NPRMs) titled “Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and Repair” and “Class Location Change Requirements.”
PHMSA will hold a public meeting from November 27, 2023, to December 1, 2023. The GPAC will meet each day from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET to discuss the NPRMs. However, the meeting may end early if the GPAC completes its review of the NPRMs. Members of the public who wish to attend are asked to register no later than November 20, 2023. PHMSA requests that individuals who require accommodations because of a disability notify Tewabe Asebe by email at tewabe.asebe@dot.gov at least five days prior to the meeting. Public comments on the proceedings of the GPAC meeting must be submitted by January 5, 2024.
The meeting will be held in person at the Westin Crystal City, 1800 Richmond Highway, Arlington, VA 22202. The agenda and any additional information, including information on how to participate in the meeting, will be published on the meeting website at https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/meetings/MtgHome.mtg?mtg=167. Presentations will be available on the meeting website and at https://www.regulations.gov/ in docket number PHMSA-2023-0061 no later than 30 days following the meeting. You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. PHMSA-2023-0061, by any of the following methods:
Tewabe Asebe, Office of Pipeline Safety, by phone at 202-366-5523 or by email at tewabe.asebe@dot.gov.
The GPAC will meet from November 27, 2023, to December 1, 2023, to discuss the “Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and Repair” NPRM that PHMSA published in the Federal Register on May 18, 2023, (88 FR 31890),[1] and the “Class Location Change Requirements” NPRM that PHMSA published in the Federal Register on October 14, 2020, (85 FR 65142).[2] The GPAC will review the NPRMs and their associated regulatory analyses, including, but not limited to, the cost-benefit and risk assessment analyses; regulatory impact analyses; environmental assessments; and other materials pertaining to the NPRMs provided in the respective public dockets. While the meeting is scheduled for five days, the GPAC may complete its review of the proposed rules in less time. PHMSA will post additional details on the meeting website in advance of the meeting as they become available.
In the “Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and Repair” NPRM, PHMSA proposes to make regulatory amendments that implement congressional mandates in the “Protecting Our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 2020” to reduce methane emissions from new and existing gas transmission pipelines, distribution pipelines, regulated (Types A, B, C, and offshore) gas gathering pipelines, underground natural gas storage facilities, and liquefied natural gas facilities. Among the proposed amendments for Part 192-regulated gas pipelines are strengthened leakage survey and patrolling requirements; performance standards for advanced leak detection programs; leak grading and repair criteria with mandatory repair timelines; requirements for mitigation of emissions from blowdowns; pressure relief device design, configuration, and maintenance requirements; and clarified requirements for investigating failures. Finally, this NPRM proposes to expand reporting requirements for operators of all gas pipeline facilities within DOT's jurisdiction, including underground natural gas storage facilities and liquefied natural gas facilities. PHMSA requested public comments with a submission deadline of August 16, 2023.[3] PHMSA received approximately 35,000 comments on the NPRM.
In the “Class Location Change Requirements” NPRM, PHMSA proposes to revise the Federal Pipeline Safety Regulations to amend the requirements for gas transmission pipeline segments that experience a change in class location. Under the existing regulations, pipeline segments located in areas where the population density has significantly increased must perform one of the following actions: reduce the pressure of the pipeline segment; pressure test the pipeline segment to higher standards; or replace the pipeline segment. This proposed rule would add an alternative set of requirements operators could use—based on implementation of integrity management principles and pipe eligibility criteria—to manage certain pipeline segments where the class location has changed from a Class 1 location to a Class 3 location. Through required periodic assessments, repair criteria, and other extra preventive and mitigative measures, PHMSA expects this alternative approach will provide long-term safety benefits consistent with the current natural gas pipeline safety rules while also providing cost savings for pipeline operators. PHMSA requested public comments with a submission deadline of December 14, 2020.[4] PHMSA received 14 comments on the NPRM.
Following the GPAC meeting, PHMSA will evaluate the GPAC's recommendations and publish final rules that address the comments received and relevant information from the GPAC meeting report.
The GPAC is a statutorily mandated advisory committee that provides PHMSA and the Secretary of Transportation with recommendations on proposed standards for the transportation of gas by pipeline. The committee was established in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 60115 and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (Pub. L. 92-463) to review PHMSA's regulatory initiatives and determine their technical feasibility, reasonableness, cost-effectiveness, and practicability. The committee consists of 15 members, with membership evenly divided among federal and state governments, regulated industry, and the general public. ( printed page 64520)
The meeting will be open to the public. Members of the public who wish to attend must register on the meeting website and include their names and affiliations. PHMSA will provide members of the public reasonable opportunity to make a statement during this meeting. Additionally, PHMSA will record the meeting and post a record to the public docket. PHMSA is committed to providing all participants with equal access to this meeting. Public comments on the proceedings of the GPAC meeting must be submitted by January 5, 2024. If you need an accommodation due to a disability, please contact Tewabe Asebe by phone at 202-366-5523 or by email at tewabe.asebe@dot.gov.
PHMSA is not always able to publish a notice in the Federal Register quickly enough to provide timely notice regarding last-minute issues that impact a previously announced advisory committee meeting. Therefore, individuals should check the meeting website or contact Tewabe Asebe regarding any possible changes.
Issued in Washington, DC, on September 13, 2023, under authority delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.
Massoud Tahamtani,
Deputy Associate Administrator.
1. The public docket for the Leak Detection and Repair NPMR can be found at https://regulations.gov in Docket No. PHMSA-2021-0039.
Back to Citation2. The public docket for the Class Location Change Requirements Notice can be found at https://regulations.gov in Docket No. PHMSA-2017-00151.
Back to Citation[FR Doc. 2023-20159 Filed 9-18-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P
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